762 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 68T 28 
£at\U 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
Discussions in Farmers’ Clubs ought to 
be the best part of the exercises. Sometimes 
they are interesting, but oftentimes they fail. 
Some farmera are uo speakers, and do not like 
to talk. There are apt to be two or three 
loquacious members who are so fond of hear¬ 
ing themselves talk that they monopolize the 
whole time and disgust others who ha ve good 
ideas to present. To make these discussions 
more interesting, we take a new plan which 
works well. The topic is announced a few 
weeks pi’evious to the date of the discussion. 
An editor or compiler is appointed. He in¬ 
terviews the several members of the Club and 
gets their experience and opinions on the sub¬ 
ject. These several opinions are written out 
in a condensed form with such mild comments 
as may suggest themseves, and are read as a 
whole. After the reading, short speeches can 
be given by those who wish to explain their 
view's more fully. Many farmers who have 
valuable ideas are induced by this system to 
take part in the discussion. If they were 
obliged to speak their view's they would re¬ 
main silent. f. r. d. 
Pittsfield, N. H. 
Less Meat; More Fruit and Vegeta¬ 
bles, —It has beon said that it requires 15 
acres to raise as much nutriment iu meat as 
one acre will produce in fruits or vegetables. 
I consider that it requires more labor to sus¬ 
tain the animal creation than it would humau 
beings w ithout the aid of animals. Why not 
eat less meat aud more fruit and vegetables? 
The old idea that we must eat just so much 
meat in order to live is all nonsense. Plenty 
of men keep fat and do good work who do 
not eat half a pouud of meat per week. 
Brandon, Vt. e. f. e. 
Good Use of a Premium. —We propose to 
put the bell which we obtaiued as a premium 
for two subscribers for the Rural on our 
school-house. This building, like those iu 
many school districts, is used not only for 
school purposes, but for church aud .Sunday- 
school as well. The lack of n good bell has been 
a great inconvenience. The school board 
have always felt too poor to buy one, aud 
there has always been a discussion between 
the church people and the school board as to 
which ought to buy the bell. If there are 
other districts like ours, this looks to me like 
an easy way out of the trouble. The ladies 
ought to be able to secure two subscribers in 
almost any district in this country. 
Charlevoix Co., Mich. mrs. m. a. 
A Good Gravel Walk, four feet wide— 
from my front door to the gate—a distance of 
60 feet, was made as follows; I stretched a 
cord the whole length of each sid<- of the walk 
to guide in digging. Large stones were placed 
along the borders of the-walk, close together, 
so as to form continuous lines. The dirt was 
dug out of the place where the walk was in¬ 
tended to be built, aud thrown over to the out¬ 
side of the stones, thus holding them iu place. 
The walk was thou filled in with small 
stones with grav el on top of them. This 
was rounded off, leaving it a little high¬ 
er at the middle, so as to shed water. 
The walk is builtlike a macadamized road on 
a small scale, and works finely. I did the work 
the latter part of August, when work was a 
little slack. A good walk Is a great comfort. 
It is worth the extra work to get rid of track¬ 
ing through the mud iu Spring, a friend. 
Get a Wagon-,) auk. —About the easiest tool 
to make is a wagon-jack, aud yet I know farm¬ 
ers who never use one at all. Whenever they 
want to grease the wheels they hunt up an old 
rail aud lift the wheel by main strength. 
A board under the rail will hold it up unless 
something tips it over, aud, then, what harm 
does it do to have the axle drop iuto the dirt? 
The time aud labor speut in naming after the 
rail would couut up were it not for the fact 
that such farmers never grease their wheels 
till they fairly yell out iu agony. B. h. j. 
Crawford Co., Pa. 
A Enack in Time. —Can we improve upon 
our present system of eating three meals per 
day? I claim that it never pays to let a person 
get very hungry A hired man will lose too 
much time iu listening for the dinner bell. 
Talking about this to a friend last, year, ho said 
he always took a lunch when he weut to a field 
far away from the house. Whenever he saw 
the hired man looking at the sun, he told him 
to go and get something to eat, either out of 
the basket, or, if near home, at the house. By 
eating a “piece” at intervals he never got very 
hungry, and kept up his work. There is more 
iu this plau thau people will see at first glance. 
Iugham Co,, Mich, J, M. 
■ full! Crops. 
THE BULLIFORM OR HYGROSCOPIC 
CELLS IN THE LEAVES OF GRASS. 
DR. W. ,T, BEAL. 
On the upper surface of the leaves, running 
from base to apex of the blade, are rows 
of large, thin-walled cells which are really 
cells of the epidermis. They are very sensa 
tive to changes of moisture and have been 
called hygroscopic cells. By the French they 
are called bulliform cells, ns they often pu If 
out like a bluster. The rows of cells in each 
baud is constant for any species, but varies 
from three to 13 or 15. These cells penetrate 
more deeply than the other cells of the sur¬ 
face, all of which are tilled with water or air. 
The bulliform cells are different in different 
grasses. Tn Orchard Grass there is a single 
baud above the mid-rib of the blade. When 
slightly dried, the bulliform cells contract, 
and as they run deeply into the leaf, the blade 
closes like the two leaves of an open book. 
The leaves of Juno Grass have a band of 
bulliform cells near the mid-rid ou each side. 
These wlieu they dry cause the leaves to shut 
up or close in the same manner as those of 
Orchard Grass. The leaves of Timothy and 
Indian corn nave several bands of bulliform 
cells all across them between the veins. These 
do not extend very far iuto the blade. When 
dry weather comes, the leaves roll up from 
each edge, as is observed when the leaves of 
corn “roll.” 
The leaves of Pauicum plicatum, a grass cul¬ 
tivated for ornament, have bauds of bulliform 
cells alternately above aud below the blade. 
These contract when dry weather comes aud 
the leaf closes iu a zigzag manner like a fan. 
Ot ier leaves have rows of bulliform cells dif¬ 
fering from those mentioned. 
The advantages to the leaf iu closing or roll¬ 
ing are to protect the upper surface aud so. to 
some extent, check the evaporation of mois¬ 
ture. If fastened open iu dry weather a leaf 
will suffer more than when rolled up, A few 
leaves of grasses are absolutely indifferent and 
will not close on the approach of dry weather, 
while others roll up most of the time iu all 
sorts of weather. 
The leaves of most sedges (Cy peracese) grass¬ 
like plants, have single bands of bulliform 
cells above the mid-rib, which cause them to 
close in dry weather in the mauuer of Or¬ 
chard Grass aud June Grass. 
Leaves of grasses are generally protected 
aud strengthened by stout fibers which are 
just beueath the epidermis ou oue or both 
sides. One can form some notion of the ex¬ 
tent of these fibers by the strength aud the 
feeling of a leaf. Iu dry countries, the fibers 
are well developed. 
There are many other interesting things to 
study in connection with the leaves of grasses, 
such as the different joints ou the same 
plant, a comparison of the tibro-vascular bun¬ 
dles, a study of the old and the young leaves 
Compared, a study of the tips of the leaves. 
Many experiments can be made to help to de¬ 
cide certain different points of structure and 
growth. There is none the less interest in the 
study of grasses, because many of them are use¬ 
ful, or because the order furnishes five-sixths 
of the money value of all the staple crops of 
the United States—and all this without con¬ 
sidering the money value of our domestic ani¬ 
mals. Iu speaking of matters of practical 
importance—of a money value—we are too apt 
to lose sight of the beauty that is in them. 
Those interested iu this subject will find ft 
more scientific aud detailed account in the 
November number of the Botanical Gazette. 
Ag’l Coll., Lausiug, Mich. 
Uljc ijfrilgm.au. 
CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA IN 
ILLINOIS. 
Its introduction from Maryland; unsuspected 
ravages for months; retribution on the live 
stock dealers; authorities hampered tn/ 
short-sighted parsimony; violence of the 
cattle owners ; results of quarantining Illi¬ 
nois; risks of recklessly spreading the dis¬ 
ease; preea at ions ago in st sh ippiny diseased 
dressed or canned beef. 
In the year 1883 pleuro-pnoumouia was 
taken from Maryluud to Ohio. The next year 
the plague was brought from Ohio to Illinois, 
and was thence sent into Missouri, Kentucky 
and possibly to Texas. After taking such meas¬ 
ures as seemed to be in their power the Live 
Stock Commissioners declared tlmt the mal¬ 
ady had been eradicated in this State. It now 
seems to be more than probable that the dis¬ 
ease has existed among the cattle of the north¬ 
ern part of Illinois ever siuee its presence here 
was ill’st discovered in 1884. It is remembered 
that Mr. Clark, whose Jerseys were among the 
first cattle in Illinois to show the effects of the 
infection, said at the time when his herd was 
quarantined that a large number of cattle bad 
been exposed to the infection by being brought 
into contact with his own stock before the na¬ 
ture of the disorder was suspected. The cattle 
thus exposed were scattered throughout the 
neighborhood, and no doubt that they con¬ 
veyed the infection to other animals in scat¬ 
tered districts can be reasonably entertained. 
The wide publicity given at the time to infor¬ 
mation about the malady served to alarm 
owners of cat t le, and at the same time it. taught 
the unscrupulous among them to conceal the 
existence Of the disease, and to hurry the ail¬ 
ing of their herds to market whenever such 
showed signs which led their owners to think 
that pleuro-puemuonia was the cause of their 
illness. There is uo doubt that at the very 
time when the Illinois Live Stock Commission 
declared that this State was free from pleuro- 
pueumonia cases of that disease were eoucealed 
in the vicinity of Chicago. It is asserted by 
Dr. Rose that cattle have been dying in the 
Chicago distilleries during the whole of the 
last two years, of a disease like that which lias 
created this alarm. 
About the middle of September the an¬ 
nouncement was made that pieuro-pueumouia 
had been discovered among the cattle iu the 
northern part of Chicago. For some days the 
matter was kept from the knowledge of the 
public, those in the secret being unwilling to 
create a feeling of alarm before they could as¬ 
certain with certainty that this was the true 
bovine lung-plague. When there could be no 
longer a doubt up> m this score it had also been 
learned that some 3,000 cattle had been ex¬ 
posed. Then began again the old, old fight 
between trade on one side, determined not to 
admit the 'truth, and science ou the other 
hand, supported by the gathered knowledge 
of centuries of experience aud loss, but unsup¬ 
ported by money or by effective laws. The 
stock-yard interest came forward, though uu- 
oxpectodly, to urge that the most effective 
means known should be promptly adopted for 
the extinction of the disease; but the au¬ 
thorities are prevented from stamping out 
the plague, for, owing largely to the op¬ 
position offered by the very parties who 
are now most anxious to have all ex¬ 
posed cattle killed and sent to the rendering 
tanks, no sufficient appropriation for this pur¬ 
pose could be got from the last Illinois State 
Assembly. Opposition from the same sources 
had much to do with the refusal of the last 
Congress to appropriate enough money, and 
to give enough power to the Bureau of Ani¬ 
mal Industry to enable that organization to 
act promptly and effectively. The veterinar¬ 
ians have therefore found that they are prac¬ 
tically powerless so far as stamping out the 
malady is concerned. All they have been able 
to do in the case has been to prove that the 
disease is contagious pleuro-pneumonia, and 
by the aid of the General Government, to put 
a guard over the infected herds. 
The present condition seems to be that, 
having learned what should bo done in the 
case, the parties who should have power to 
act at once and effectively for the protection 
of the cattle interests of the whole country, 
find that they can do little or nothing to stay 
the course of the plague. Their position is an 
unpleasant one. lty the stock-yard people and 
the packers aud shippers of dressed beef they 
are urged to slaughter the exposed cattle and 
scud all the carcases to the rendering tank. 
The local butchers want to get the beef of the 
cattle which may not show signs of the disease 
when slaughtered. The owners swear their 
stock shall not be killed before they are paid 
for, aud have gone further thau to threaten 
violence to the State and Government officials 
and the guard employed to prevent the re¬ 
moval of cattle or of infected articles. Last 
Friday one Irishman who owns two or three 
of the sick cows, and who has caused much 
trouble to the officials, attacked a watchman, 
and with the aid of halt a dozen of his equally 
courageous countrymen succeeded in mauling 
the single guard unmercifully. The chief 
offender was arrested and will be lined, prob¬ 
ably , for assault. Oue may well wish for the 
power of the effete monarchies for at least a 
long enough time to allow of dealing with 
this matter as it should be dealt with. 
A report has come from Kankakee, a few 
miles south from Chicago, to the effect that 
contagious pleuro-puoumonift has appeared 
among some cattle taken to that place from 
Chicago. It is to be hoped that the Outbreak 
will be found to bo due to Texas fever. From 
Dakota u report came saying that pleuro¬ 
pneumonia had recently been taken there l>y 
stock from Chicago. The truth of that report, 
if it is true, has not. been ascertained. Huoh 
statements indicate the existence of a feeling 
of fear which has found expression in declara¬ 
tions by a number of States aud Territories of 
quarantine against cattle from Illinois. As 
most of the cattle taken to the "West from the 
country east of the Mississippi pass through 
Illinois, the quarantine practically cuts off the 
movement of breeding stock from the East to 
the West. No one will, however, deny that 
simple prudence demands that such measures 
as will fully protect the cat tle interests of the 
country should be at once adopted and main¬ 
tained until proof shall have been given that 
cattle may be taken from the vicinity of Chi¬ 
cago without endangering herds with which 
they may come into contact. The statement 
that 160 of the quarantined cattle were last 
Sunday spirited away from under the very 
eyes of the guards placed over them by the 
State to prevent their removal, will scarcely 
tend to restore confidence among the cattle¬ 
men in the country. An assertion in one of 
the Chicago dailies, yesterday, to the effect 
that fanners and others continue to lake cat¬ 
tle from Chicago to pasture and fatten on 
farms will alarm many. It is no more than 
fair, however, to say here distinctly, that as 
yet no evidence has come to light to prove 
that a single case of infection has been traced 
to the stock yards here. 
Naturally enough, the shippers of dressed 
beef and the beef packers are somewhat 
alarmed about the effect the excitement may 
have upon people in the East, who do not 
know hmv the dressed beef and the canning 
business is conducted here. Those who are 
best acquainted with these two branches of 
the cattle business know that no crippled, 
bruised or diseased animal is ever knowingly 
bought by any of the larger firms. When,by 
some oversight, a beast that is not in good 
health is bought, it is condemned to the tank 
at once. No firm in good standing can afford 
to allow such au auimal to go into its cans, or 
into its refrigerators. The loss from sending 
one or two, or as many thousands of cattle to 
the rendering tanks would be the merest bag¬ 
atelle as compared with tue injury that would 
be done to any business house if even so much 
as a single piece of glazed beef, or a can of 
spoiled meat should be discovered among its 
shipments. “e. vero.” 
Chicago, Ill. 
GUERNSEY HEIFER ENID 353. 
There is no doubt that the Ghirnseys are 
steadily forcing their way by sheer merit into 
the dairy herds of this country and England. 
Their butter and milk are as rich as those of 
their rivals, the Jerseys, and the average yield 
of both is seldom less. They are larger, more 
robust, better foragers and able to withstand 
the inequalit ies of weather over a wider range 
of country. There are far fewer of them thau 
of the Jerseys, both in their original homes and 
in the rest of the world; they have never been 
boomed, aud no records have been widely pub¬ 
lished of enormous yields of milk or butter 
under forcing conditions. Probably the best 
thing that can be said in their praise is that 
wherever they arc known they give entire sat¬ 
isfaction. A likeness of a fine specimen of the 
breed, re-engraved from t he Live Stock Jour¬ 
nal (London) is shown at Fig. 399, page 709. 
Enid is the property of Mr. G. Nevile Wyatt, 
Slough Place, Cuclcfield, Sussex, and was win¬ 
ner of the first prize at the groat annual show 
of the Royal Agricultural Society, at Norwich 
last July. There were II Guernseys, and as 
there was only oue class for all sorts of Guern¬ 
seys—that for Cows or Heifers in-milk or in- 
calf, calved in 1883—she must have been the 
finest specimen of the breed in the greatest 
cattle show in Europe. 
DEVONS AGAINST JERSEYS. 
Breeders are too modest in their praises 
of Devon cattle. In this rocky country they 
will beat any other breed when given ordinary 
farmer’s care. There arc many Jersey grades 
here which do well when housed aud treated 
in first class shajie. The trouble is farmers 
who keep them won’t always treat them as 
they need to be t reated. On a cold, stormy 
day I have noticed the cattle iu different 
barn-yards. Those with Jersey blood in them 
stand with rough coats, all humped up against 
the weather. The Devons are always bright 
and happy anil ranging about for food. Our 
Devons always keep fat and hearty, and if 
there is anything to eat in a pasture they are 
sure to find it. A hillside pasture runs a Jer¬ 
sey down to skin and bones, but it has hard 
work to drive the ribs of a Devon iuto view. 
On common fare such as 90 per cent, of farm¬ 
ers give their cuttle, I believe the Devon 
will beat the Jersey at both milk and butter. 
Greene Co., N. Y. e. p. 
Jerseys and Ai.deunicys; Selection of a 
Bull. —Many farmers are hopelessly mixed as 
to the difference between Alderney and Jersey 
stock. The prevailing impression here seems to 
be that the cream-colored Jerscys are Alder- 
noys. These are considered best for butter. A 
